Post by Blacksmile on Jun 9, 2013 19:29:58 GMT -8

I watched V/H/S/2 this afternoon. It was just just as fucked as the first one, but way better. Shorter, more direct, and less immature. The third segment about a cult is the best of the bunch. It starts off a tad slow, but once it gets going it's fucking bonkers. I highly recommend this to any horror fan.

I wouldn't be surprised if you are picturing me peeling a carrot with a staple gun.

Post by Goldbart der Hexenmeister on Jun 21, 2013 8:51:15 GMT -8

Every year I watch the film Der Untergang (Downfall). If you haven't seen it, you probably should it's available on Netflix. It is a realistic depiction of the end of the War in Europe as the Red Army surrounded Berlin. It is a special film to me, not a single member of my family that served in German Army survived the war, in fact I was the only member of my family since 1870 to come back from combat alive. It is an excellent film that warns us the viewer, of the costs of following charismatic leaders, unchecked nationalism, fanatical political ideologies, and war mongering. The film follows as a whole, the life of Traudl Junge, one of the secretaries of Hitler along with the other goings on in Berlin. It really is a must watch if you have never seen it. The film is in German with English subtitles. It helps to understand my Opa, a troubled man, who was the only surviving male of his direct family. He was a man of alcoholic binges, significant abuse against his children and spousal abuse, but was also capable of incredible kindness late in his life. During an alcoholic delirium he reverted to 1945 and screaming about the Russians he slit his wrists he survived, but his mind was muddled, until late in his life, he predicted his own death two weeks before passing on from pulmonary distress in 2009.

Post by Professor Pancakes on Jun 22, 2013 10:52:32 GMT -8

The actually didn't fuck World War Z up too bad. I'm a huge fan of the book and I've had up and down feelings about them making it into a movie. They made it different, but they didn't make it bad. Running zombies are almost a deal breaker for me most of the time, but I have to admit they do make for a more exciting movie.

Post by badchoices on Jun 22, 2013 17:47:25 GMT -8

The actually didn't fuck World War Z up too bad. I'm a huge fan of the book and I've had up and down feelings about them making it into a movie. They made it different, but they didn't make it bad. Running zombies are almost a deal breaker for me most of the time, but I have to admit they do make for a more exciting movie.

I saw it yesterday, too. I had the same reservations going into the movie but I ended up liking it. I enjoyed following the one character rather than the way it was presented in the book more than I thought I would. Not saying I liked it better than the book, but they did a good job. It went by very fast and was pretty damn tense.

It's not a graphic novel, just a regular novel. Although, I suppose it is kind of graphic, but in a different mening of the word. Anyway, that's an interesting article and a little bit truer to the book than the ending they used, but I can definitely see why they went the way they did. The book is almost a collection of short stories all tied together by the one investigator hearing everyone's accounts. It would be pretty much unfilmable in its true form (or would end up being 6 hours long). I guess what I'm trying to say is read the book. You'll be glad you did and having seen the movie won't spoil any of it.

Post by Drew on Jun 25, 2013 14:22:31 GMT -8

I liked World War Z okay, but I feel like that book could have become a way better movie. So many of the characters and vignettes were ripe for the big screen. It would have taken some serious work to make a coherent movie out of that, and it would have eschewed the star-driven model of the movie that was made (but ensemble casts are becoming more accepted, aren't they?), but it could have been done and it would have been incredible.

Post by nick on Jun 28, 2013 22:56:56 GMT -8

Much Ado About Nothing was completely incredible. Even if you're not a fan of Shakespeare, I cannot recommend this film highly enough. It should be held up as the gold standard for adaptations. Beautifully directed and acted, with a load of slapstick dolloped on the already witty dialogue. Completely brilliant. Catch it at your local indie theater before it's gone (currently playing at Seattle's Harvard Exit theater off Broadway for the locals). Highest recommendation.